I’m starting a new feature of this blog called “Close your eyes and win a prize.” A couple of weeks ago, I was going through old picture archives after seeing the HBO documentary, Smash His Camera, which was the subject of an earlier post. Any photographer who’s been shooting as long as I have can find a few gems just by reaching into the files. So in a quiet moment, I did just that — reached into the files and pulled a handful of contact sheets and negs, this time from 1969.

From the time the famed concert promoter Bill Graham opened the Filmore East on the Lower East Side until it closed in mid-1971, the venue was the east coast Mecca for live rock and blues. A quick perusal of any single month’s performances will instantly take you back in history — aside from that night’s co-headliners Mountain (of “Mississippi Queen” fame), earlier shows that October featured The Kinks, Chuck Berry, King Crimson, and The Who. It was early in the Nixon presidency, several years into the Vietnam War, and a lot of the music reflected the growing anti-war sentiments in the U.S. as well as increasing use of drugs.

In fact, it was backstage at the Fillmore East that I first saw cocaine being used. It may seem unbelievable, but if you finished college in 1963 or earlier, it’s entirely possible you’d never had any experience with illegal drugs. Political awareness (and interest) at the time was minimal, protest against government actions pretty much unknown, and unless you were living in The South, the civil rights movement was happening far away.

So from those very different times, I thought it would be amusing to share a couple of the images from October 1969 (Halloween night in fact) at the Fillmore East. Other pictures from random excursions into the archives will follow.

Stay in Touch!

We won't flood your inbox, and we won't sell your info to anyone.

Email

Attention: Dealers and Institutions!

We work with film, theater, and photography retailers across the United States and around the world. They include some of the biggest names in the industry… as well as some of the smallest. Over the years we have also consulted with educational, corporate, scientific, and law enforcement groups in order to solve their unique problems. If you're intrigued by our products, please get in touch! We truly believe in the products we sell and distribute, and we look forward to helping you discover how they can serve your needs.